| Review Summary |
Dell's XPS 430-121B, sold exclusively at Best Buy, outpaces the competition and carries an impressive set of media-centric features. Heavy gamers can find a more suitable system elsewhere, but digital media enthusiasts will appreciate this Dell in their home network. |
The affordable Gateway LX6810-01 scores high points for offering high-end components right off the shelf. We recommend this system for multimedia editors and light gamers who can make use of its hard-working Nvidia 3D card and full 8GB of RAM. However, if you're looking more at straightforward performance, Dell offers a system with a faster CPU and a similar feature set for about the same price. |
Gateway's SX2800-01 offers a strong combination of performance and features all wrapped up in a design that fully embraces the merits of a slim tower PC. We recommend this system to anyone looking for a fast, affordable desktop for the home office, the living room, or anywhere in between. |
The Dell Studio XPS 435 successfully overcomes our bias against desktops that claim to be experts at everything through charming case design and a strong configuration at a relatively fair price. It misses greatness because of a handful of minor missteps, but if you need a do-it-all mainstream tower system, this Dell more or less covers all the bases. |
Velocity Micro's Edge Z30 is the best deal going right now for midlevel gaming PCs featuring Intel's new Core i7 chips. The overclocked Core i7 860, a fast Nvidia graphics card, and a solid selection of features all around make it easy for us to recommend this system to anyone looking for a capable gaming desktop. |
